Thursday, April 30, 2009

hip hop thursday 4-30

WELCOME EVERYONE!!! Its the last day of April, and we're about a little over 1/2 way through our week long birthday/anniversary celebration. I hope you've been having fun with us, and winning some great prizes along the way. Be sure to check out the festivities and the prizes at Angela's blog and the Splitcoast Unity Forum.

My first project is a masculine birthday card that I need for tomorrow, using the April KOTM Fresh Beginnings, the February KOTM - Endings and Beginnings and Distressed Dots.



My second project also uses the April KOTM Fresh Beginnings, and is somewhat minimalist. ROFL. Whenever I use this paper line, the minimalism this paper/digital designer is known for always comes over me. :)



Colors used:
Prismacolor: Bronze and Dark Umber
Caran D'Ache: Indian Red, Rose Pink



Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to play along with us in the forum!!

Your next stop is


Enjoy the rest of your hop. Hip hop!

Monday, April 27, 2009

its Unity's birthday and we have a week of fun!!

Hey everyone!! Unity's One Year Old, and there's a huge celebration going on!! Oh, how I wish I could have taken a week off work to play - its gonna be such a blast.

Check out Angela's Blog for details of the challenges, the games, and the PRIZES!!! There's a YEAR subscription to the Unity Kit of the Month up for awarding! And a ton of prizes from some awesome paper crafting manufacturers.

Have a wonderful week!!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

LMCS27

So, I think I'm going to start to post the sketches I do for LM here, just to share a bit more....

This is LMCS27, Cardsketch 27
And here is my sample, using scraps and a new stamp from Sugar Nellie....

If you play along, I'd love to see your creations!! You are welcome either to load into LM's gallery with keyword LMCS27, or leave me a comment here with a link to whereever you've loaded it. TFL! Wendy

Thursday, April 23, 2009

hip hop thursday 4-23

WELCOME!!! Its April 23rd and we're celebrating birthdays! Yeppers! Unity's one year anniversary is coming, and you're invited to our week long party next week. (my invite uses the Simple Pleasures kit)



Where you might ask?? join us at My Unity Place



I got so into the groove of the birthday celebrations, I decided to make a pair of gift tags - I always forget to make up TAGS when I make cards, and always end up writing on those yucky freebies. I'm using the Mix Up of Cuteness Kit, and the sentiment from the October KOTM



Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to join us starting Monday for a week of fun fun fun.

Your next stop is

***Jeanne's Blog***

Enjoy the rest of your hop. Hip hop!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Copic coloring - Tutorial 2

A second popular method of coloring with copics uses fewer markers. The results are a little more muted.

First, pick two color values from each color grouping - one very light and one very dark - you need a very large contrast between your two to make this method work. Color your dark colors onto a non-porous surface - I am using my clear acrylic palatte (with a sheet of white paper under it so you can see the contrast). Anything nonporous will work - CD case, even an acrylic block....





Next, take your lighter color - swipe it through your darker color to pick up some of it





Your tip will look something like this (sorry for the blur - and I forgot this step with the brown so I did it with the green) - see the little dark dab up at the corner? its ok. These markers are designed not to stain when you do this:



Now, color like normal, starting at the edges. The color that you place immediately after your "swipe" will be darkest - as you color more, the dark color will be gone, and you'll be left coloring with the original lighter color. Its a natural shade. If you want more shadows, apply more color direct from the swipe to that portion of your picture. Here, I've added the shadows to the same portion of the same image we used in the first lesson - see how its darker to the bottom right?



And here is my image, all done:





By way of comparison, here is the same image colored using the "first" 3 marker color value blending method (stamp is Unity Stamp Company - Eco Chic)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

hip hop thursday 4-16

Its Hip Hop Thursday again and we are celebrating moms. So, here is mine - my mom, my rock, my foundation - the strongest person I know. Oh how I love my mommy



my projects this week turned out so different!! My first one was all girlie, using the gratitude = joy kit



My second project uses tiny trinity


Thank you for stopping by!!!

Your next stop on the hop is
Enjoy the rest of your hop! Hip Hop!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

gorjuss....

I've loved this artist on etsy for, well - forever... I was beyond thrilled when she came out with a stamp line manufactured through sugar nellie and distributed through funky kits. Though it was in scotland, shipping was reasonable, and I received the stamps within a week. AND I got my Gorjuss hit... :)



And they carry other artist lines too, like this adorable Honey stamp:



Off to play some more.... :)

Friday, April 10, 2009

crafty secrets goodness

Oh, I think I'm in love with these crafty secrets stamps! I love the vintagey-ness of them..... (I got carried away coloring and didn't record the colors... I'll get better at that - promise...)



Thursday, April 9, 2009

hip hop thursday 4-9

Its Thursday again and we're rewinding again, this time celebrating our most lovely mother earth!!

Hopefully you've joined me from Jimmi's blog. if not, start at Angela's, and hop along with us. (see links at sidebar)

My first project this week uses the absolutely adorable Mix Up of Cuteness set. I love this little owl.



my second project features a saying my husband always uses - I can't [but] we can!! :) Using my favorite Eco Chic kit



Thank you for stopping by!!! Happy Passover to my Passover celebrating friends; Happy Easter for my Easter celebrating friends!

Your next stop is

Enjoy the rest of your hop! Hip Hop!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

look who's one?

I felt like coloring again, and this time, used my crafty secrets stamps. I so love the vintage cute-ness of these. It was a neat mix with the retro pop of the new BObunny Alissa line.



TIP: One thing that I am starting to do alot when I have very busy patterned papers is to introduce some sort of solid'ish paper to the mix to make it easier on the eye. I don't like a pure solid b/c that looks a bit flat to my eyes? but papers that have a very muted pattern, or a dry embossed or crimped cardstock for visual interest will often do the trick....

Friday, April 3, 2009

lifetimemoments friday 4-3

its Friday and at lifetimemoments this week, we made easter decor.... I had the best time with the new Lilly Bee Three Little Birds collection.

My first project, I made a candy basket...

Easy peasy, and only uses 1 sheet of paper!

cut paper to 9x9
score at 3", 6" on both sides - fold
cut 3" from sides on the width sides



round the corners
lift sides up and secure with brad
cut 1" handle from your scraps - attach with brads
embellish with remaining scraps




My next projects were place setting thingies, using these really cool templates from Paper Bouquet (DMD). The baggie is perfect for jelly beans or other kinds of loose candies, and the little bouquet holder is great for spring flowers picked easter morning.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

hip hop thursday 4-2

ETA... we have a winner!! Random number generator picked
Blogger whoistracy said...

Wendy, these projects are beautiful! Your coloring is amazing. I think I say that every week though. So nice to see someone using pencils instead of Copics.

You sure were a STYLIN' kid! What an adorable photo.

April 2, 2009 10:17 AM

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Please email eryn@unitystampco.com with your mailing address, and tell her you won the prize from Wendy's blog. Thanks for playing everyone!! Happy Friday...
Its thursday again and we're celebrating BABIES!!!

Me, I was a preemie in Taipei - the technology was not as advanced as it is today, and it was very hit and miss there for a while, leaving me with few baby picture... But, here I am - a little bit older, after things stabilized. Not the most attractive picture, but I sure was stylin!! :)



Did you join me from Jimmi's blog? If not, start at Angela's blog and hop along with us. :)

Since we're on the subject of babies, my first card uses the cute Little Sprout kit



For my other cards, I am sick this week and feeling totally blue... And so, my cards are somewhat monochromatic and mellow (I didn't realize that til I was done...), both using the April KOTM Fresh Beginnings

This one is SC220, using the April KOTM and sentiments from Fall Festival:



(Sorry, i didn't get a clear picture of the pencils but they are Crimson Lake, Limepool, and Olive Green

My final roject uses paper from this really cool french company that newly released at CHA - Audela des cimes, and more stamps from the April KOTM



Thank you for stopping by!!! Your next stop is Jen's fun filled blog. Enjoy the rest of your hop! Hip Hop!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Welcome Spring!

Its April and Unity's celebrating the new April Kit of the Month!! Its just so cute!!!



In honor of the release, a few of us on the DT are making a project with the new kit - highlighting our new challenge - Spring, Stitching and Color:

AJ
Christi
Jeanne
Jimmi
Maren
Amber
Chelsea
Patter
Robyn
Heather
Brooke
Jen E
Jennifer Buck
Julie Campbell (April Guest Designer)
Renee

Here's my entry:



and finally, we're welcoming our April Guest Designer Julie Campbell - check out her beautiful work

Happy April!!